Botswana country handbook: supporting social and economic development in southern Africa: recent activities of the sub regional office for southern Africa of the economic commission for Africa in Botswana

Abstract

Botswana is a member of the Southern African Customs Union and SADC. Although the country has not yet ratified the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area, which it signed on 10 February 2019, it is currently developing a strategy and implementation plan related to the Area. Recent direct and indirect technical support for social and economic development in Botswana has been focused on training and capacity-building relating to the integrated planning and reporting toolkit, the development of a national strategy and implementation plan related to the African Continental Free Trade Area, and food balance sheets, as well as on preparing country profiles and land policy. The Subregional Office for Southern Africa prepared and published the Country Profiles series, which included a profile on Botswana. Each profile provided robust independent analysis of the country’s economic and social development status, progress and prospects, which policymakers and analysts could use for key national, regional and international development initiatives and agendas, including economic transformation. The series was published and updated until 2018. The latest generation of profiles are the structural transformation, employment, production and society (STEPS) profiles. These recurrent publications were widely disseminated, eliciting evidence-based policy engagement and dialogue among State and non-State stakeholders.